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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: press · coach · stand · vault · date · clip · track · bank

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. clip — to cut
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — the fruit
  5. press — newspapers
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. track — to keep track
  8. stand — to bear
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. bank — for money
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. bank — for money
  14. track — a path
  15. clip — a video
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. clip — for paper
  18. track — a song
  19. bank — of a river
  20. vault — a safe
  21. press — a publisher
  22. press — to push
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. stand — for spectators

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com